ELECTIONS AND REFERENDUMS

MSBA's bond survey shows at least 67 school districts went out for a bond referendum or capital project levy this year. In November, 41 districts went out. 28 districts passed a bond or capital project levy, 13 districts failed. MSBA's survey also shows at least 53 school districts asked for an operating levy referendum this fall, with 44 districts passing a question and 9 failing. If your bond or levy is not on this list, contact Greg Abbott.

New Combined Polling Place Resolution for Special Elections—A new law requires districts to pass a resolution every year if they want to combine polling places for a special election in 2018, and approve it every year beyond. The resolution must be approved by December 31 of each year for elections not held on the statewide General Election date. However, if your district is planning a special election for February 13, the resolution must be approved by November 15. Note that your combined polling place must be a place designated by the county or city.

BOARD-APPROVED REFERENDUM AUTHORITY RESOLUTIONSThe following links provide model board resolutions relative to converting existing and/or creating new board-approved referendum authority. The model to be used is dependent on the amount of the current voter-approved referendum authority after the subtraction of the local optional revenue allowance of $424.

Bond and Levy Election Results (since July 2000)

School Board Member Referenda Do's and Don'ts

RESOLUTION ESTABLISHING SCHOOL DISTRICT PRIMARY ELECTION SYSTEM

To make your school district subject to the primary election system, boards must pass this Primary Election System resolution before April 15. If your board does not want to hold a primary election, do NOT pass this resolution. Your filing period will then be in August and all candidates will proceed to the general election.

If your board has already passed a resolution that set filing dates for May AND the board does NOT want to be subject to the primary election system, your board should revoke the resolution setting the filing dates before the filing period begins.

Passing this resolution will not guarantee that the district will have a primary election. The law provides that if the board has made the district subject to the primary system and if there are more than two candidates for a specified school board position or more than twice as many school board candidates as there are at-large school board positions available, the school district must then hold a primary.